Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-08-24

not means no good by the lass. Tha
though maddens the old man. He know
so little of his own girl, with all his low
for her, that he can couple SO coarse
thought with one whose nature is pure
the sunlight though as warm. f
He knows himself quite as little prob
ably, 4vr he mistakes the passionate resent
ment he feels entirely for virtuous indig
nation, though it is more, a great dea
more, jealous fury.
The worst sting of all to him at the mo
ment is that the girl is so happy. Sh'
has forgotten him-forgotten all his trou
bles, his loneliness, and his years of low
and care at the bidding of this strange
lad!
His voice shakes with emotion, and HI
stamps his foot as his words reach Maggy'
startled ear.
"Get thee into the house, we shameless
huzzy! To think I should have seen my
lass taken up with one no better nor
lazy loon.
may, nay; not q word I can never
trust We mair, We deceitful BARN! Get ye
gone, Ralph Irwin, and never dare tt
Idarken an honest mans door again, yt
son of a. Jail bird. Never so long as I live
shall ye take my lass in your arms again.
Ralph tried to speak but the farmer
taking Maggy roughly by the shoulder
pushed her into the house and slammed the
door in the poor lads face.
!. Ralph turned away with heavy heart
Aaron Wilkinson had stabbed him cruelty
His fathers brief imprisonment was ever
ranking word in the memory of one
honorable, brave, and fearless as could
be the inheritor of even the most unsul
lied name.
The next week or two passed very wear
lily to Maggy.
Her father was sterner and more unap.
proachable than ever, for his heart ached
with love and care and anxious thought.
He had nothing left but his child, now
another had come between them.
Youth Graves for youth to love again
and age thirsts for the devotion it cannot
win; and Nature must have her way, be
the pain ne'er so great; while at the end
of all the great dark shadow waits to lay its
cold fingers on every murmuring lip and
whisper silence.
The weather was wet and the girl could
get no excuse to meet her lover, and es-
cape her fathers watchful eyes, and the
light faded from her wistful face.
The old man sighed when he saw it,
He wanted her to be happy, only he want
ed her to find her happiness in living fol
him alone; and the exacting love he bore
her could be satisfied with nothing less.
The rent day came at last, and the far.
mer set off alone to the place appointed.
He had to walk, for the old gray mare
had been sold to help to meet that days
need; and even his faithful dog was left
behind at home.
Maggy stood gazing after the thin worn
figure regretfully.
A great dumb pity was in her heart.
She knew all his care, all the bitter hu.
initiation he felt in prospect OF the ordeal
he had to 60 through.
She loved him, poor child; would fain
have held the gray head in her hands, and
kissed the thin stern lips before he left,
had she dared but the barrier that had
been raised between them kept her at
distance.
She could not, would not, give up her
sacrifice would content his exacting ma
ture. The day wore on wearily. She
would not take advantage Of his absence
to meet with Ralph.
To her intuitive sense of honor it would
have seemed mean to do so, when her faith
er was suffering so deeply and had so
much to bear.
She wandered restlessly from kitchen to
parlor as the lonely hours passed.
The morning had been sunshiny and
warm but toward noon heavy, ominous
looking black clouds rolled up from the
west, and ere long all was dark overhead.
The blackness deepened, and strange
oppression was on all things, and an ap-
palling stiffness in the air.
The animals drew near the homestead, as
if from fear; and the desolate girl felt
awed and nervous.
Ere the afternoon was over the dark
ness was deep as night; then the storm
burst.
Great flashes of fire illuminated at In.
tervals all the plain. Purple and blue and
crimson, they flooded the earth with aw-
full radiance, then suddenly in blazing
hieroglyphics darted across the darkened
sky as though some Titantic finger wrote
some word of doom upon the blackened
scroll, and the wild fierce thunder caught
the meaning and echoed the mystic Ian
guage from side to side of the resounding
valley.
Then the clouds broke, and the rain fell
in tremendous torrents, washing past the
doorway in a flood, and binding the girl
when she tried to pierce the darkness for
a sign of her father approach.
Again and again she looked in vain, and,
coming back, built up the fire and drew
his chair nearer the kindly blaze.
Yet he came not.
AS the hour passed Maggy grew strange
ly anxious.
The fury of the storm was over, but the
rain continued to fall heavily.
She could hear the roar of the braWling
stream that fed the lake, and the moan OF
the wind across the plain; but no sound OF
footstep nor human voice cheered her
anxious ear.
Her father was not wont to linger.
She glanced at the clock uneasily, and a
great terror seized her and great remorse.
Why, oh why, had she let him go un-
reconciled? She might never. see him
more!
Once again she opened the door and
listened intently.
1t was night now, and the darkness of
it had succeeded that of the storm.
The rain still fell, and she could hear
even yet no sound but the rush of the riv-
ulets it had made, and ever, the roar of
the stream her father had to cross; the
noise of it beat upon her brain with a
sense of absolute physical pain.
AS she stood looking out into the night,
the light from the brightly illumined
kitchen shining behind her, suddenly she
started back, for there was strange,
weird sound in the air above her, and a
rush as of some winged creature.
Another second and poor belated dove
of snowy plumage flew against her breast
and rested there for moment then set
tied on the old mans chair.
Moss gave long, despairing howl, and,
coming to the doorway, whined piteously
as he looked out into the darkness, then
up in Maggy's face.
Then the girl threw herself into u chair,
laid her head on the table and sobbed as
thnnnh har hoo rt wnlld hrnal